Intelligence and Miscellanies, 393 
49. Decoloring action of Charcoal.—An elaborate me~ 
moir on this subject, by Mr. Bussy, which obtained the prize 
proposed by the Society of Pharmacy, of Paris, contains the 
a results : 
. That the decoloring property inherent in charcoal, 
siaiieate itself only when ‘the charcoal is in certain physical 
conditions, among which, porosity and division hold the first 
rank, 
2. That the azote is devoid of effects ; that the foreign 
sukaidone: which the charcoal contains exert no decoloring 
action, with the — of ee hydrogen, and the 
m only: if the foreign mat- 
ters appear to have an influence in the decoloration, it is oc- 
casioned by the development of surface merely in conse- 
ig of the mixture 
at no charcoal can discolor when it has been heated 
; that all its varieties 
on the e contrary enjoy this property, when they are sufficient- 
ly divided,—not by mechanical action, but by the interposi- 
— some substance which opposes their aggregation. 
. That the superiority of animal charcoal, such as that 
of blood, or gelatine, arises from its great porosity ; ; which 
may be considerably increased by the effect of matter with 
which it is calcined, such as 
5. That potash is not limited in its effect of increasing 
the porosity of the charcoal, by the abstraction of the for- 
eign substances it may contain, but it acts on the char- 
coal itself, in attenuating its molecules, and that by calcining 
vegetable substances with potas ash, a decoloring charcoal may 
be obtained ; add also by the calcination of en) or an- 
ima] matters, with phosphate of lime or c 
6. at the decoloring force of different charcoals, ascer- 
tained with respect to one substance, generally follows the 
same order in all others ; but that the difference betwoenthiete 
diminishes in proportion to the difficulty of decoloration in 
the different — on which they are tried. 
T rcoal acts upon coloring — by combi- 
ning with them with alumine would 
do, and that, in some cases the color can be ‘ade alternately 
to i and disa sappear. 
he the following are the relative numerical forces of 
the ceemerns etek of the pee employed, first, upon 
V 
